The Healing (2012)

In the opening credits, when the 3D text of the movie title "The Healing" appeared and positioned itself against the mountains like the HOLLYWOOD billboard sign in L.A., you know that you're in for an interesting experience.

Seth (Vilma Santos) brings her stroke victim father (Robert Arevalo) to Manang Elsa (Daria Ramirez), a faith healer in an unspecified province. The following day, Seth’s father is already miraculously up and running, making up for lost time by urgently living vicariously, taking in young girls for lovers and creating a Facebook account. News of the miracle healing has quickly spread in Seth's neighborhood, and soon her ill neighbors and close friends (Pokwang, Ces Quesada, Ynez Veneracion, Cris Villanueva, Janice de Belen) are begging to be brought to Manang Elsa, including the seriously ill stepdaughter of her ex-husband Kookie (Kim Chiu). Same thing happens, they all get miraculously well. But their cure, unfortunately, did not come free after all - each one healed will pay a horrific price…and the "Star for All Seasons" has the key to save them.

Split into two versions (PG-13 and R-18/The Director's Cut) so that the general public can all enjoy the movie, The Healing is horror-suspense laced with comedy. Director Chito Roño (Feng Shui; Sukob) and writer Roy Iglesias opted for a "fun" suspense flick, concocting a fast-paced storytelling meant to make scaredy cats jump from their cinema seats when they're not laughing at Pokwang or Seth's wild father. By the way, the Director's Cut, if you're curious, offers a right boob exposure and lots of bloody slayings, the graphic, gruesome violence not appropriate for the faint-hearted.

So, what of the narrative?

The plot itself is plain and simple enough to bring about its core entertainment: the string of horror and suspense that befalls each victim. However, if one follows the pattern of the killings, it has become inconsistent with the ultimate climax-- the scene with Kim Chiu. Her "different" case not explained; her horror different from the rest of the cast. Obviously, the different twist to her character aims to provide the audience with the element of surprise through deception, but still, it's not an excuse to change the story pattern without a valid narrative explanation. Yes, it succeeded in providing the audience with suspenseful scenes, but the more discerning audience would be distracted with the Why's. There are other essential factors disregarded for the sake of carrying the horror towards its end goal in an easy manner, which makes the Seth character either somewhat dense or not that concerned with her close friends. But then again, you are aware that it's the narrative that is a bit loose, purely concentrating on scaring you thus compromising important details.

Vilma Santos and the rest of the cast deliver absorbing performances; Santos delivers a natural portrayal of her character albeit some minor, forgivable slips-- chasing her lines in the script, like losing her balance and being able to catch herself before she falls. But in the entirety, she exudes the matriarchal, kind-hearted role she portrays with ease.

The special effects are still a bit crude but passable, and the funny “crazy eye” thing takes away the horror factor, but both the editing and cinematography are impressive, the scene transitions smooth, and the camera angles aptly capturing all the essential scenes. But what is highly memorable in this movie is the art direction-- it uses that film technique of "complementing" the set's interior color scheme with the actors' costumes. This movie did not seem to understand the idea of this technique, and instead laughably dressed the actors in uniform color-- with matching props. The entire town is wearing white, then the next day blue, then red, and so on. Instead of creating a harmonious, aesthetically pleasing, complementary color palette in your eyes, the result is distracting, hilarious, and such an eyesore, even confusing one movie reviewer I’ve read, who wondered if the “Color of the Day” scheme is some kind of a town ritual.

In its entirety, The Healing is well-acted, engaging and as a matter of fact will not bore you one bit because of its gimmickry on suspense. If a solid narrative, and even art direction, is not really an issue to you and you are a Pinoy horror fan seeking for the Chito Roño brand of horror-suspense, then you will surely enjoy this movie. And, of course, if you are a “Solid Ate Vi” or a “Global Kim Chiu” fan, this movie will giddily entertain you to bits.

2.5 out of 5 stars

In Cinemas July 25, 2012

My CINEMAONE ORIGINALS 2011 experience

Out of the 10 Cinema One Originals digital independent films shown at the Shangri-la Cineplex last November 9th to 15th, I was only able to see two films: Mga Anino sa Tanghaling Tapat and My Paranormal Romance.

When watching local indie films in the cinema, you take a huge risk with your time and money, and so I was glad I got in for free in both films. But sometimes, even if you get to watch a movie for free, you'd still feel violated if your time was horribly spent watching it.

Mga Anino sa Tanghaling Tapat

Officially making it to my list of 'Worst Movies in the History of Both Amateur and Professional Filmmaking', Mga Anino sa Tanghaling Tapat is an artsy-fartsy self-conscious repertoire of eroticism and the supernatural in a provincial setting. Well, they say it's a coming-of-age story, but to begin with, there is no story.

Ines, a copper-haired pretty city girl in short skirts and dresses, arrives in her provincial hometown for the ritualistic burial of her grandfather. While there, she takes the opportunity to ask around about the seemingly mysterious and tragic death of her mother, at the same time enjoy her vacation in the province with her aunt (played by an actress who embarrassingly stumbles with her lines and is terribly self-conscious of the camera) and with her two cousins; Odessa, with whom she is close to, and Ezra, who is hostile to her and enjoys masturbating using a pointed fruit-- whenever she's not watching a stranger having sex with a banana tree.

The film jumps from one bad scene to another, the story line scattered and inconsistent and unable to make up its mind where it will lead. The "conversational" dialogue was horribly written (there was one scene when Ines and Odessa were engaged in a shallow and playful argument: "Ayoko maging amoy lola, kadiri!", "Gaganda naman ang kutis mo kahit amoy lola ka!" which went on in a loop for 10 minutes). The characters were poorly written and poorly acted (only the lead actress can seriously act) and all we see are repetitive shots devoid of meaning and emotion (cutting fruit, cleaning, senseless talking, walking), interrupted by a screensaver-like shot of the sky at sunset.

What this film aims is to transport us into the typical life in the province (where folks have sex with organic stuff, as the movie implies), and introduce us to rituals in the province and the supernatural, and will try to impress you with its shots of genitalia. But this movie is simply sexually repressed, empty, and desperate.

My Paranormal Romance

Refreshingly Bisaya with playful English subtitles, My Paranormal Romance is a Cebuano romantic comedy about a young, bright college girl named Merry (Phoebe Kaye Fernandez) who was burned so many times by love, escapes to a remote place with strong academic goals-- but then encounters everything that goes against her rational beliefs. And she also meets a new love interest that will threaten her broken heart once again.

Merry, as she resides in her new boarding house, suddenly finds herself with a third eye, which connects her to the supernatural and paranormal realm, meeting interesting characters that challenges her sanity. She then seeks the help of a guy to get rid of her unwanted powers-- but the guy keeps a secret more painful than her paranormal predicament.

My Paranormal Romance is absorbing, visually pleasant, bright and colorful from the cast down to the dialogue. It's a movie that does not take itself seriously nor does it aim to please or impress. All it wants is to entertain. And it succeeded. The screenplay, with a mainstream feel, is engaging albeit too long, and the humor funny and playful; I naturally don't laugh easily but the packed cinema was oftentimes filled with howls of prolonged gut-laughter. The characters are richly developed and played by talented actors, making it a movie with the perfect cast of impressive performers.

I am not sure whether it's because I grew up in Manila and I don't have a province but My Paranormal Romance felt foreign to me. The humor is universal and funny and I have Visayan friends, but the feel of the movie is something new and different to me-- the effect perhaps of watching fellow Filipinos who are culturally different, on top of the film's unique and unconventional story and style, as well as its seemingly European influences, with a strong sense of occultism and mysticism.

My Paranormal Romance is entertaining, a very professional production, smart and engaging, and a highly interesting comedy that will surely transport you into its crazy, paranormal world. If you laugh easily, then you will be rewarded more than you can imagine.

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (2011)

To those who have been traumatized by our local movies, sneering and rolling their eyes at fan-based mainstream rom-coms and comedies, and then scoffing at indie films of gay and poverty porn, which they feel sums up the entire Philippine film industry, then you should watch Ang Babae sa Septic Tank.

Representing the country at the 84th Oscar Awards to vie for a nomination spot in the Best Foreign Film category (bumping off Thelma and Rosario), Ang Babae sa SepticTank has managed to win the hearts of various Pinoy moviegoers: the mainstream-loving ones, the film snobs, and the common moviegoers, uniting them in one glorious laughfest.

The film, which gained viral stardom, is about two young and ambitious indie filmmakers (JM de Guzman and Kean Cipriano) and their PA (the non-speaking role of Cai Cortez) as they set out to create what they deem to be a brilliant indie film-- envisioning international film festivals and awards, specifically the Oscars. Their movie plot already exists, and it's not something new in the indie world: a mother of seven in a destitute slum area, who in desperate measures, sells her child to a pedophile. On their way to an appointment to a popular mainstream actress, Eugene Domingo (who plays as herself), who has shown an interest to the lead role, the filmmakers tinker with ideas and discuss various treatments to the film, from a nitty gritty neo-realist treatment to a musical, to a docu-drama-- and, humorously, we see the different treatments through the imagination of the non-speaking but enthusiastic PA.

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, written by Chris Martinez and directed by Marlon Rivera, is surprisingly thigh-slapping hilarious, an intelligent satirical portrayal of the local film industry, yet not at all offensive but an affectionate jibe to both indie and mainstream movie formula-- and filmmakers. It feels like a movie created both out of frustration and keen observation of the local cinema trend, which the impressively talented duo of Martinez and Rivera (with advertising backgrounds) clearly had so much fun writing and producing.

The Filipino audience is split into two groups when watching the movie, laughing from two different perspectives: those who work in the creative industry (especially filmmakers and aspiring ones) will be able to relate with the creative process of the lead characters, and then there's the fans of Eugene Domingo, who will laugh at her comedic performance. My sister and I, who watched the special screening last night and who have in the past teamed up in small amateur film projects down to the movie poster, roared with laughter as we saw ourselves in the duo. And when Eugene Domingo in the film suggested her own ideas into the indie film, it was a riotous experience.

To the Filipino audience, the movie is rich with Pinoy humor that despite its creative execution, I am worried about how the international audience would view the film-- with 50% of its humor, I believe, can only be understood by Filipinos. Still, it's a strong international contender because what the foreign audience might glean from this parody of a movie is an insight into our cinematic trend, its hilarious and brilliant execution of various film treatments, and the funny desperation of getting international recognition-- specifically the Oscars. No, they don't want Cannes. They want the Oscars!

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, which has garnered major awards at this year's Cinemalaya (Best Screenplay, Audience Choice Award, Best Performance of an Actress, Best Director, and Best Film) and received invitations to international film fests: Pusan, Vancouver, Hawaii and Udine, is a testament that the country can produce quality indie films and intelligent screenplays. And who knows? The goosebumps-inducing idea that we will finally, FINALLY see our film nominated in the Oscars might just come true...sooner than we think.

A must-see for all.

No Other Woman (2011)

After reading raves about the movie on Facebook (some even saw it more than once at the cinemas) I decided to watch No Other Woman myself. If anything goes wrong, I told myself, a story on infidelity is always entertaining. By default. And the mere presence of Derek Ramsay onscreen would be another consolation.

And so I asked a dear friend of mine to watch the movie with me and see what the fuss is all about.

No Other Woman, released by the country's leading local mainstream movie production house, Star Cinema, stars three sexy actors: Derek Ramsay, as the philandering husband; Cristine Reyes, as the wife; and Anne Curtis, as the other woman.

We sometimes watch movies to see beautiful people, and No Other Woman has made sure of that: Ramsay looked more chiseled and toned than ever, looking like the perfect male specimen; Anne Curtis was groomed to the maximum level of hotness (the long, wavy, volumized hair, the barely there swimsuits, and outfits that maximize her sexiness to its full potential); and Cristine Reyes was made to look too pretty, with her own brand of sexiness.

But what about the story? It is well-structured. Quick-paced with no unnecessary frills or ridiculously boring long shots. No, it's not boring. And it is emotionally engaging hugely because we can relate one way or another-- either we have loved, cheated, or cheated at, at some point in our lives. And the cast had chemistry. However, there's nothing unique about the story or the plot. Even the actors are generic: a good-looking husband, the pretty housewife, and the hot other woman. The film simply portrays love and desire and the effects of infidelity-- but it will hold your attention, nonetheless.

I have read one novel on infidelity, wherein the wife was gorgeous and the other woman looked plain and easy to look at-- still the good-looking husband had an affair with the plain-looking girl. The novel, though, delved deeper into the psychology behind cheating and why women sometimes fall for married men. They were presented equally: all three of them flawed, human and weak. All victims. In No Other Woman, there wasn't much to explain: Curtis is too hot for Ramsay to resist, and Ramsay is a salesman/former playboy. It just triggers the question whether all men are polygamous by default. Actually, the movie suggests that a monogamous man does not exist. And we are just there to watch the movie and feel the drama unfold in such a situation.Cristine Reyes plays Cha, the pretty nouveau rich wife.

In No Other Woman, directed by Ruel Santos Bayani, the problem was the performance by some of the supporting actors and the extras. A film should not only focus on the performance of the main stars, but down to the nameless nurse with the one line. Poor acting, even from the extras, loses the film's credibility. Extras and supporting actors are all part of the movie and have the obligation to perform with quality. Otherwise, a movie loses its "touch of reality." It makes things feel fake. This is not a classroom play, anyway; this is a major feature film that's supposed to provide real acting craft. Even Ramsay's best buddy in the movie only acted through words, never in the eyes. It makes one cringe to hear or watch a subpar performance in a film, particularly in a drama, because it's supposed to reel you inside its world.

The natural in the film was Derek Ramsay, who smoothly transformed into his role; he was believable and convincing. As well as the veteran Tirso Cruz III, who played Curtis' father. The movie was 80% in English, and only Derek Ramsay was easy and comfortable to listen to since he's a native English speaker. Anne Curtis, though, in her role as a liberated former New Yorker, went a bit overboard with her role; she was too theatrical, injecting too much sultriness in her voice and too much throaty laughter and aggressive movements, and she was a tad more unnatural with her American English accent than her already unnatural English accent, lolling and rolling the English words in her tongue so unnaturally that irks me. On the other hand, Cristine Reyes, who skips between good and bad acting in the film, apparently speaks unsophisticated English, but it was validated by the filmmakers in the movie, giving her a role as the daughter of a nouveau rich family-- meaning, rich but with no class and sophistication. Her mother, played by Carmi Martin, is a former wet market vendor who accumulated an immense wealth. New money, so to speak. That's why even Reyes' sister in the movie, although dressed in shiny, dazzling and expensive outfit, was made to speak like a "palenkera" for consistency, even going so far as to declare in the movie (obviously for clarity's sake) that they are, actually, nouveau rich, what with all their flashy and gold furniture.

But what made the film emotionally engaging was not only because of its direct-to-the-point screenplay and engaging dialogue, but also the main actors' emotional expressions. The subtleties, like the mere glances, the tensing of the muscles, the suspcicious looks, the guilty eyes and the quivering lips...the body language accurately captured, exploding with meaning. And the appropriate close-up shots and cinematography needed to emotionally connect with the viewers were there, as well as the quick, dramatic tears that fall easily from the actors' eyes in perfect timing. This, on top of a quick-paced screenplay, has made the movie---despite its flaws and ordinary plot---passably good.

Philippine mainstream movie, you are almost there.

3 out of 5 stars

Thelma (2011)

If you are hungry for a quality Filipino film, Thelma will satisfy that craving.

Thelma indeed has caused wild curiosity among cinephiles when the trailer came out, giving us a glimpse of a seemingly unique and refreshing Filipino film released by surprise! surprise! Star Cinema with TimeHorizon Pictures. So are you wondering whether your curiosity is worth buying a ticket? The answer is a yes. Exchange it for a fast food meal, if you must.

In a remote part of Ilocos Norte, under the wide open sky, with windmills and mountains and sunsets and starlit nights, live a farmer and his poor family-- with a stubborn, rambunctious but deeply compassionate eldest child, Thelma (Maja Salvador), with an extraordinary talent in running. Lacking in school spirit and discipline, Thelma only finds joy with her younger sister's company in the raw beauty of their Ilocos Norte home, running wild and free without any cares in the world.

But an unexpected tragedy drove Thelma's life perspective to change and for her to strip her fears and lack of discipline away, and use her gift of running. And we follow how far her feet would take her.

Inspired by true events, Thelma is fast-paced, heartfelt, touching and unpretentious, with an engaging storyline that will hook you to finish the whole 1 hour and 35 minute-running time. It's a real breather; a pleasurable break from your usual Pinoy indie films of urban poverty, and here we finally see the beautiful parts of the country for a change. And with its impressive, breathtaking cinematography and sophisticated, elegant and tasteful musical score, the film will absorb you into its dramatic narrative and emotionally connect with you, and might cause a tear or two to roll down your cheeks. Also, there are some LOL-inducing scenes.

Thelma, however, has glaring flaws that could only be seen by the most critical of reviewers. For instance, the sub-par performance of some actors, particularly Tetchie Agabayi's (Thelma's mother) unnatural sing-songy delivery of lines and self-conscious performance (could be from her long hiatus) and the aunt's (Sue Prado) forced conversational tone and self-conscious performance, too, and some extra runners that looked anything but pro (awkwardly running with ridiculous smiling faces), especially the ending statement that sort of killed my admiration because it gave the impression of selfishness. Still Thelma has innumerable good points that the flaws are forgivable.

Impressively directed by Paul Soriano, with English subtitles, and most notably, a surprisingly brilliant performance by 24-year-old Maja Salvador (she is what you call an authentic actress who transformed into her character), who also co-produced the film, Thelma is indeed a breakthrough-- a milestone in Filipino filmmaking. Something to be proud of.

I'd see it again.

8/10 stars

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